Arrowhead center's staff hopeful
of return
BY CYNTHIA LEE
UCLA Today Staff
The wildfire that had threatened the Lake Arrowhead area appeared
to have spared the lakeside community, as of press time Oct. 31,
much to the relief of UCLA employees and others concerned about
the fate of the UCLA Conference Center/Bruin Woods Vacation Center,
located on the northern shore.
With the fire now moving northeast of the center toward Big Bear
and snow predicted Friday night, employees’ anxieties eased
somewhat.
The Old fire burned within two miles of the center on the eastern
side of the lake, incinerating 350 homes in Cedar Glen.
About 140 UCLA employees and guests evacuated the popular 40-acre
conference center, beginning Saturday, Oct. 25. By Sunday, the last
of the management staff had left the resort, locking the doors behind
them, said Jim Turner, director of the center.
Turner and his staff set up a command center in Covel Commons
to help make other arrangements for eight affected conferences.
“The vast majority are rescheduling with us,” he said.
“Our clients are telling us they don’t want to go anywhere
else.”
“So far, we’ve been fortunate,” said Michael
Foraker, director of Housing and Hospitality Services. “We
kept dodging bullets up there, and the situation was extremely fluid.
But we’re very hopeful that in the very near term, fire officials
will give us the signal that the area is safe, allowing our employees
to go home.”
Turner said if all goes well, fire officials may allow people
to return to Arrowhead by Monday, Nov. 3. It will take four to five
days, he estimated, before the center can become operational
The center is beloved by many alumni, whose families have been going
there every summer for years to enjoy the highly popular Bruin Woods
program, run by the UCLA Alumni Association. The summer resort has
been running at capacity since 1986.
That affection for the Lake Arrowhead site, where countless faculty,
staff and students as well as alumni have stayed to attend conferences,
vacation or work, was evident as many concerned Bruins called in.
“People have such a positive experience up there,”
said Assistant Vice Chancellor Keith Brant, executive director of
the Alumni Association. “As long as the property is not affected,
I think people will continue to want to be there and enjoy it.” |
